US President Donald Trump’s remarks on Irish reunification have moved to the centre of the debate over constitutional change in Northern Ireland. Michelle O’Neill, First Minister of Northern Ireland, said the remarks showed that the island’s political agenda was changing.
While in Ireland on Saturday, Trump said he would be pleased to see a united Ireland. On Sunday, he described the reunification of Ireland and Northern Ireland as “one of the most natural developments of all time.”
The US president also argued that historic divisions should be resolved. O’Neill said Trump’s remarks coincided with the intensifying debate in Ireland over constitutional change.
The leaders of Sinn Fein, Plaid Cymru in Wales and the Scottish National Party (SNP) are due to meet in Cardiff on Monday. O’Neill said the meeting demonstrated “a sweeping change in the dynamics” and that the political landscape was undergoing a marked transformation.
England’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham had previously opposed calls for a referendum on Irish reunification and said the issue was not on the agenda.